Upper Hand
by CorkyBookworm1
Summary: Sequel to 'I Dare You'. Actually, more of a companion story, but hey...It's another LeAnn Rimes song-fic. It's more of a Bess and Joe thing, but there will also be some Nancy and Frank action.
1. Song Lyrics

**This is sort of like a sequel to **_**I Dare You.**_** I'm not going to say that you have to read that story first, but in my mind events in this story occur after **_**I Dare You**_** did. I'm thinking that I may turn this into like a mini series or something. I was considering many possibilities, but this story will be the first among the others rolling around in my head. **

**Nancy and Frank will be in this story. However, it revolves more around Bess and Joe. Ned probably won't appear. George will be here. Poor George; I feel sorry for her. Some people don't give her enough credit. She's an essential part of the team, boy dodging as she is. **

**The song, Upper Hand is another LeAnn Rimes song, big shocker there…**** I'm not crazy about this song, but a story formed around it. It has a catchy tune, and again I encourage you to google and listen to it. Listening to the song adds an effect to the story that is irreplaceable in any other way. The lyrics to this song aren't exactly what I personally would promote, but the tune is verrrrry catchy…that's why I like it! **

**And, as always, let me know your opinion. I would love to know whether you think this story goes better than the last one or vise versa. Tell me what you do and don't like. And PLEASE tell me if you think the story correlates well enough with the song given. REVIEW!**

**UPPER HAND**

Honey on a teaspoon

Sugar in a bowl

An eager man's always an easy catch

Butter on the skillet

Whisky in a glass

To start a flame you've got to light a match

Ooh Ooh Ooh you know what he wants

You know what he wants

Ooh Ooh Ooh

Gotta get a hold, gotta get a hold,

Get a hold of your man

Better get him while, better get him while,

Better get him while you can

Good to be a lion, good to be a lion,

Instead of a lamb

Use what you've got

Take the upper hand

Always be a lady

But tease him like a trap

A temptation that's hard to resist

Treat him like a hero

Let him long to be your slave

Take advantage of your God-given gift

Ooh ooh ooh you got what he wants

Yeah got what he wants

Ooh ooh ooh

Gotta get a hold, gotta get a hold,

Get a hold of your man

Better get him while, better get him while,

Better get him while you can

Good to be a lion, good to be a lion,

Instead of a lamb

Use what you've got

Take the upper hand

Generations before will testify it's true

You're gonna see how much he really loves you

Yeah, Gotta get a hold, gotta get a hold,

Get a hold of your man

Better get him while, better get him while,

Better get him while you can

Good to be a lion, good to be a lion,

Instead of a lamb

Use what you've got

Take the upper hand

'use what you've got'

Oh, upper hand

'use what you've got'

Take the upper hand


	2. Dumped

**Yeah, the beginning of Upper Hand has been written! I want to warn that the beginning of this is a little 'T' rated. Uh, but I don't think it's going to be like this through the whole story…I don't know yet. I also want to continue to encourage you to review this if you've read it! Hey, how can I know to write more, or stop writing if need be, if you don't tell me how I'm doing? I appreciate and welcome ALL types of reviews. Let me know what you think; I'm genuinely interested in your opinion. Believe me, if I weren't…I would say as much…he he, but I don't think that'll ever happen…**

**DUMPPED **

"Honey on a teaspoon

Sugar in a bowl

An eager man's always an easy catch"

His right hand played with the hem of her shirt. His left was pressed against the back of her neck. He kissed her passionately. She was between him and the rock wall. Ever so slowly, his hand crept up the front of her shirt.

After a certain point, Bess pulled away from his already too close embrace. She harshly pushed his hand away. "What are you doing?" she asked, fed up. She hadn't liked how serious he'd been with this relationship, pressing further and further.

"Hmm?" he asked, moving to kiss her neck. Apparently he wasn't getting the message. His hand started to travel again.

"Jed!" Bess took a step sideways, completely disentangling herself from him. Now she had his attention.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you think?" Bess was becoming angrier by the minute. Her romantic dinner on the cliffs was becoming less and less romantic.

"I…I don't understand?" he stuttered, "I though we were-"

"No!" Bess half shouted, half laughed. She was unbelieving…and…and…and hurt. "Jed," threatening tears softened her voice, "it's only been three days…"

"So," he said as if it meant nothing, "I love you…"

"Yeah," she scoffed sarcastically, "I'm sure you do…they all do…" She looked at her hands. Gathering her purse, she turned around to face him, "I'm just going to go. This isn't working-"

"Bess, don't-" he protested.

"_and_," she continued, "it's not going to work." With that she turned to leave him, standing where he was…alone.


	3. Letter From A Friend

**So sorry that it took so long to get this posted! I've actually been working on another project of mine…that and I've been swamped with AP homework, band practice, and football performances. I'm still sore from the Friday **_**before**_** last Friday! Our game yesterday was the most AMAZING game ever. The band performance was the best we've had ALL year! I'm so excited. We rocked, not to brag but… We've sort of been having an off season so far, what with the intense heat, new directors, and loss of people. Anyway, sorry, I had to share the good news. **

**And now for the next chapter, I must point out that I used 'Prince Char' and 'Prince Charm' here. They are two different characters from two different books. Prince Char is one of the sweetest characters I've ever met! He's from Gail Carson Levine's book ****Ella Enchanted****, if you've read it, then you know; if not…YOU NEED TOOOOOO! Prince **_**Charm**_**, however, isn't so nice…He's from Margaret Peterson Haddix's book ****Just Ella.**** He…well, let's just say that he didn't pick "Cinderella" (Ella) because he loved her. He just wanted her because of her looks. He was a really shallow guy that couldn't even think for himself. It's a really good book that twists the Cinderella story up and down and all around. It actually takes place **_**after **_**Ella and the Prince are engaged, after the ball, the whole Cinderella story. So, if you're interested, I definitely suggest that you check into it. It's a worthwhile read, they both are.**

**Please Review! Let me know how you like it, or don't…and why or why not. :-D**

**LETTER FROM A FRIEND**

"Nancy," eighteen year old Bess Marvin continued, "I'm done with them. For some demented reason, I thought that this time things would work out, but now I see that…that it's just not meant to be. Perhaps, I'm made with this mad desire to be with someone, but it's all for naught."

"Oh, Bess," eighteen year old Nancy Drew, Bess's best friend, tried not to laugh, "Don't you think that your being…I don't know…a _little_ melodramatic?" The two sat in a café near the center of their small hometown of River Heights, enjoying a warm breakfast.

"No, Nancy, I'm being _dead_ serious," Bess said with a pretty serious look on her face, "I'm convinced that I'll die a spinster!" She took a bite of her croissant.

"Bess," Nancy attempted to reason with her friend, "You've just…" She strained to find the right choice of words.

"I what, Nancy?" Bess said plainly, "Just go ahead and say it, I'm hopeless."

"That's _not _what I was going to say," Nancy argued, biting off a piece of her sausage.

Bess pushed her half finished plate away, "I'm not really hungry."

Nancy sighed, "You're not going to let this stupid guy get to you, are you? I mean, you do realize that he was just a perverted jerk that will forever think he should own women, right?"

"Yeah…I guess," Bess said gloomily, "It's just…I don't know. I suppose I've had a bad last few relationships…I just want…I just want to find someone who…" She wiped a stray tear from her face nonchalantly.

"Oh, Bess," Nancy reached across the table to soothe her friend. She patted Bess's hand. She really did feel for her, she just didn't have the words to comfort her as much as she would have liked to. "There's someone out there just for you," Nancy said with the utmost confidence, "You just have to give it time."

"How _much _time?" Bess whined.

"He'll come," Nancy reiterated.

"That's easy for you to say," Bess snorted, "You've got the most perfect boyfriend in existence."

Nancy smiled at the mention of Frank Hardy. He and his brother lived in New York, so it was a long-distance relationship. But it's totally worth it, Nancy thought.

"Bess," Nancy said, "I spent so many years of my life with the wrong guy, not to mention all the others that came to and fro. Ned was a big part of my life, and …and I don't regret spending that time with him. He helped me to grow, and to learn, and to…to find myself. But, it just wasn't meant to be. We were never supposed to end up together. I would have made a grave mistake if I had put my values and opinions aside just to please him. Now I know that. Look, all I'm saying is that your Prince Char will come…you just might have to go through a few Prince Charm's before you get there."

Bess thought for a moment. She seemed to take in what Nancy had said, "Okay, so maybe I won't give up guys _completely_. Not yet anyway." She smiled, "Soo, how are you and Frank doing?" Nancy blushed, turning away. "Come on girl," Bess prodded, "Give me all the goods! What's the latest update?"

Nancy laughed. Bess was always power hungry for 'juicy' romantic details. It was no wonder, she was always reading those sappy love stories like Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. "He sent me a bouquet of red roses," Nancy said.

"Ooh, _red_ roses."

"_And_ one of the sweetest notes I've ever read."

"How many roses did he send? Hey, what's the occasion for roses?"

"That's just it," Nancy's eyes shone, "there _is_ no occasion. He sent one rose for every year that we've known each other…amounting to a grand total of fourteen roses."

"How romantic is that!" Bess squealed. The girls continued their chat and finished their breakfast. Nancy paid the check, since Bess had picked her up. The two headed for the Marvin home. Bess had convinced Nancy to come over and watch a movie with her. The girls pulled into Bess's driveway slowly. Bess parked in the garage and locked the car. Nancy headed for the garage door that connected into the laundry room of the Marvin home.

"Hey," Bess said to Nancy's retreating form, "I'll be in as soon as I check the mail, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing, I'm just going to look through your videos for something that sounds good." Nancy walked into the house. She was warmly greeted by Mrs. Marvin. Mr. Marvin was out running some errands. Nancy made her way to the living room. She was in the midst of scanning the shelves for a good movie when Bess entered, plopping down on the couch. Nancy glanced at her friend momentarily before returning to her search.

"Hey," Bess perked up, "I got a letter from George!" George Fayne, Bess's cousin, was in Tennessee on a farm. She had been invited to stay with a friend that she'd made at a science summer camp one year.

Nancy looked at Bess in surprise. She tucked a stray strand of her reddish blonde hair behind her ear, "Oh, yeah? What's she got to say?"

Bess silently read her letter. Suddenly, she became quite animated, "Nancy! Nancy, look at this!" Bess jumped off the couch and rushed to Nancy.

"What is it?" Nancy asked curious.

"George wants us to come stay with her," Bess hopped up and down in excitement, "she said that Erin, the girl who invited her out in the first place, told her that she could invite us along too. She said, 'I talked about you guys so much that she figured I wouldn't miss you as much if you were here…well, that and she wants to meet you!' Oh, Nancy, isn't this exciting!"

"Bess, she lives on a farm," Nancy said flatly, "You don't like farms… remember?"

"Oh, Nancy," Bess's tone said 'you-silly-little-girl', "I think farms are soo cute!" She headed toward her mother's room, "I just don't particularly care for all the animals, but it's not like I would give up a vacation trip over _that._ Beside I've never been to Tennessee. It would be enthralling and new. I'm really looking forward to it already. I've just got to get mom's approval…oh, you too. Use the phone in the hallway, I'll be right back." She headed into her mother and father's room. Nancy smiled, shaking her head as she went to call her father.


	4. Tennessee Hunk

**So, now that AMM is finally finished, I will be concentrating a little bit harder on this story and on Strong as well. Hope you enjoy! Oooh, I got a new LeAnn Rimes CD for Christmas and I LOVE IT! Maybe there's a potential song-fic somewhere in there…I don't know…**

**TENNESSEE HUNK**

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Bess squealed as she stepped off the plane and into the Nashville terminal. She squeezed Nancy's arm in her delight.

The two friends made their way to the baggage claim. Twenty minutes later they stood outside, looking for a taxi. Bess was trailing two large suitcases, a duffle bag, a rather large bathroom bag, and her purse; Nancy, one regular sized suitcase and one duffle bag. Bess's luggage was a dark shade of purple, and Nancy's was a vibrant green. Just as the last available taxi rolled up, a tall, tan, and handsome young man walked up to the girls. Nancy tried to call for the taxi, but someone else got to it first.

"Drats," Nancy frowned.

"Howdy, ladies," the dark-haired man flashed a smile of perfect, brilliantly white teeth.

"Howdy," Bess said in a mystified tone. The stranger had said the word as one syllable, whereas Bess had drawn hers out. Nancy noticed this among other little things that her observant nature picked up easily. She shook her head at Bess's unreasonable chances of meeting yet another easily charmed guy. Then again, when Bess was doing the charming, it seemed that all men were easily charmed.

Nancy looked off into the distance, heaving a sigh. How were they going to make it to the farm now? she wondered.

"My name's John," the man said, still smiling, "John Graves." He held his hand out to Bess. Nancy turned to face the stranger.

Star struck, Bess allowed the man to take her hand in his, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Graves."

"Please," he tipped his white cowboy hat to Nancy, "Call me John." Bess looked at Nancy with huge eyes, suppressing a giddy squeak of pleasure.

Nancy held out her hand, "I'm Nancy Drew and this is my friend Bess Marvin. Could you tell us where to find the nearest available taxi station?"

"You're lookin' at him," he smiled again, placing his thumbs in his pockets. He nodded toward a dirt-covered pickup truck that sat across the parking lot, "Yeah, Erin sent me to pick y'all up. It's a long ride, so we might need to stop somewhere to grab a quick bite to eat before we head out."

"Ooh, good," Bess said, heading for the dark green truck, "I'm starved!"

"Let me help you with those," John picked up Bess's two suitcases.

"Oh, thank you," she blushed, looking back to Nancy with an expression of pure happiness. "Where are we supposed to put the luggage?" asked Bess when she realized that there were only three seats in the cab of the truck.

"In the back, of course," John smiled. He hefted the girl's luggage into the mostly empty bed of the truck, "It won't fly out, I promise." He opened the driver side door and climbed in. "It's not light enough to fly out," they heard him say as he closed the door.

"You want the middle?" Bess turned to her friend with a gleam in her eye.

Nancy shook her head, "No, I think I would prefer the window seat." Bess squealed with excitement. The girls climbed in and buckled up. It was a stick-shift, so Bess had to squeeze her legs over next to Nancy's, but she didn't mind at all. They stopped by an Arby's to grab a few roast beef and cheese sandwiches to go. Nancy and Bess used the restroom and then the group began their long drive.

"So how far is it to Pleasant Shade?" Nancy asked between bites of her sandwich.

"Oh, I'd say it's about two hours drive," he glanced at her and then back to the road, "Give or take twenty minutes. Traffic can be a beast at this time of day."

"Oh, boy!" Bess whispered, "I can't wait to see the farm!"

"We'll be there soon enough, you'll see," John smiled.

"How do we get there from here?" asked Nancy, curiosity tugging at the back of her mind. She took another swallow of her Mountain Dew.

"Well, we're going to go past Madison, then Hendersonville, and then Gallatin. We'll go through Hartsville and then turn just before Carthage. Carthage is going to be the main place you'll go back and forth to from Pleasant Shade. All Pleasant Shade is is a post office and a small gas station slash high-priced grocery. It's locally owned. You'll like Erin's place, though. I know you will."

The trio listened to music and talked all the way to Carthage, Bess doing most of the talking. When they finally made it to Pleasant Shade, Nancy's eyes widened. She paid close attention to how they got to Erin's farm. She observed as much as she could. It was a very intriguing trip.

"Here we are," John said as he shut off the truck, "I'll get your bags. Y'all just head on inside. Erin is expecting you. I believe your friend is here, too?"

"Yes," Nancy opened her door, "Her name's George."

"That's right, George," he smiled, "She sure is bright."

"That's my cousin!" Bess said as she piled out after Nancy, "Come on, Nancy, let's go find her!"

"Hello, ladies," a young woman greeted Nancy and Bess at the door, "You must be Nancy Drew and Bess Marvin. Come in, come in please." The woman had light auburn colored hair and hazel colored eyes. She was beautiful really. She led them into a room with a wooden floor and a cozy atmosphere. "My name is Erin Dawson. Your friend George and I met at a science camp one year and have been in contact ever since. She's a brilliant young woman and I'm honored to have her as a friend, but I'm sure you already know that."

"Yes, she is most brilliant," Nancy smiled in return, "Thankyou so much for inviting us out here. It really was very unexpected. I'm Nancy, by the way."

Erin shook Nancy's hand and then spread her arms wide, "It was my pleasure to have you here. Please, make yourselves at home. George is actually in town now, but she should be back soon."

"Your home is very lovely," Bess commented as she gazed around the room in awe. It had an old sort of atmosphere. The dull lights were cast by lamps spread about the room and the furniture was homey. There were handmade rugs that covered parts of the floor and odd things that hung about on the walls such as shells and necklaces along with a few pictures.

"Thankyou," Erin smiled proudly, "My great-great-great-grandfather built it when he was just a young man. It's been in our family ever since. I like the log-cabin sort of feel that it gives." Nancy and Bess sat on the old couch while Erin sat on a chair that stood opposite it.

"I really appreciate you coming," Erin suddenly said, "George has told me so much about you and I'm just so relieved that someone supports me."

"Oh?" Nancy's brow rose.

"Yeah, with all that's been happening, I was starting to think that I _had_ gone crazy! But George told me that you were the best in the business, so…" Erin played with her hands.

"Wait a minute," Bess looked from Erin to Nancy, "You mean…"

"There's a mystery here," Nancy said.


	5. The Catch

**I would like to appologize for the long wait! I had some problems and worries with this chapter that have now been mostly resolved thanks to sassy k! Please forgive me for taking so long to post it! I hope you enjoy!**

**THE CATCH**

"But…but…" Bess sputtered, "I thought this was going to be a vacation!"

"Why don't you explain to us what has been going on here?" Nancy ignored Bess and turned to Erin.

Erin looked from Bess to Nancy with a puzzled expression, "Do you mean that George didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't mention a mystery," Nancy shrugged it off, "but won't you tell me all about it?"

"Nancy!" Bess exclaimed.

Nancy held up a hand, and Bess quieted her protests. "Go ahead," she motioned for Erin to explain.

"Well," Erin started hesitantly, "There've been some…strange things that have gone on in the night here. Animals turn up missing or dead, we've lost power and water in the night, and there have been…well, some of the farmhands say they've seen…things."

"Seen what?" asked Bess, her attention suddenly riveted.

"I'm sure it's nothing, but it's a disturbance that I'd rather get rid of as soon as I can," Erin stalled. She paused and then sighed, knowing that it was no use to try to hide, "Some of them claim to have seen a glowing man in the dead of night."

Bess turned pale. "Glowing?" she whispered.

Nancy's eyes sparked with new interest. She spoke slowly, her mind still processing the information, and with a newfound curiosity, "Glowing? The dead of night?" Suddenly, a new rush of questions filled her mind and she voiced them aloud, "Is it the same time each night or is it different times? What time or times does he appear? Are they sure it's a man? Could it be a woman? Is it the same rider each time? How many times has he—or she—come? Have you yourself seen the rider? Who has seen him?"

"Well," Erin was taken aback by the unexpected multitude of questions, "I don't know. I haven't really made too many inquiries myself, and I've never actually seen him. Mostly I've ignored the gossip among the men. I have discouraged the talk, but it still seems to press on."

"Still? What do you mean 'still'?" asked Bess, her voice straining to contain her rising hysteria.

Nancy was thoroughly intrigued by now, "How long have these…appearances been occurring?"

"For nearly two weeks," Erin admitted, "I had thought that it would blow over by now, but…" The helpless girl shrugged her shoulders. She looked up into Nancy's eyes. In a pleading whisper, she asked, "Can you do anything? Please, Nancy…I need your help. I've started receiving threats and some of the men have talked about quitting. I can't run this establishment by myself. And I can't give it up. It's been in my family for over a hundred years. I…I have to figure out what's going on."

"Don't worry," Nancy smiled reassuringly, "I'll get to the bottom of this."

"Or die trying," Bess mumbled. Nancy just rolled her eyes and blushed at the thought of how many occasions her friend's statement could have been true.

"Thank you, Nancy," Erin smiled weakly. She straightened, reigning in the previously threatening tears, "If you need anything, just let me know. I'll give you the run of the place. I'll tell all the men that they are to cooperate with you in all ways and I can do anything else that you'd like."

"Actually," Nancy raised a hand, "Could you not mention anything about this to the men…if it's not too late. It might prove to be very useful if no one knows the truth about why we're here. We already have a cover story: Bess and I came to join George."

Erin looked quizzically at the thought of the request. Bess explained, "People tend to act differently when Nancy's on the job and they know it. They open up more around a normal person. They trust her more."

Erin nodded, "Anything else?"

"It might help out also if you give us a chore list," Nancy continued, "you know, so that we aren't any different. We can earn our stay here."

"Chores?" Bess exclaimed in bewilderment, "This was supposed to be a vacation! First a mystery and now you want us to do chores?"

"I don't need any resentment from the farmhands because we're being pampered, Bess. We can't receive any special treatment."

"Done," Erin nodded in absolute agreement. She quickly turned to Bess with a sympathetic look, "I can give you an easy list or a short one but you have to complete it because if you don't and someone notices I can't let it slide, no matter what."

Bess groaned. Nancy only smiled, "She'll manage."

That night George walked into her room. She found her cousin sitting on one of the two beds in the small room and not at all in a good mood. Her arms were folded over her chest and she glared at no one in particular, staring off into the distance. The door to the bathroom was open, and Nancy was getting ready for bed.

"George!" Nancy smiled as her friends reflection appeared in the mirror. She turned around to greet her friend, "There you are! Where have you been all day? We've been waiting for you to show up."

"Yeah, well," the brown-headed girl answered Nancy, "It's been quite a day for me. You wouldn't believe the lines at the stores. I went out to run some errands for Erin, but it shouldn't have taken as long as it did so I'm sorry."

Nancy shrugged it off, "That's okay, we understand how that is. But it's a little late now to do anything. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to catch up and spend time together." A muffled grunt came from Bess.

"What's with her?" George smiled, "Country air already getting to her?" Bess didn't respond. She just turned her head in the opposite direction, glaring at the door now.

"Not exactly," Nancy sighed, "She's actually pretty mad at me at the moment. She hasn't said a word to me since Erin showed us to the room."

"Why?" George looked puzzled.

"Well," Nancy looked down, "She's sort of mad at you too."

George's eyes lit up, "Oh…" She turned to look at Bess, "I bet I can just guess why. I was sort of hoping to tell you myself, but uh…I guess it's too late for that."

Nancy nodded, "I tried to cheer her up. I pointed out that we were all sharing a room so we can be together. I told her that we had the only room on the ranch that has a bathroom in it. And I told her that you and I will help her with her chores. I even pulled the cute guy card. She won't budge."

"She must be really mad," George smiled. She knew that her cousin could only take so much before she would blow up, and that's how she planned to get her to talk again. Nancy had started and George would finish, "I don't guess Erin told her what chores she was going to assign her?"

"Nope," Nancy shook her head, "What chores need done on a daily basis?"

"Well, someone will have to do dishes after each meal," George started, "But we'll all probably rotate for that. Someone will have to let the cattle in and out each morning and night—but that will probably be left to the experts. I'd say we'll get stuck with the easy stuff like taking out the garbage, feeding the animals, and cleaning out the stalls."

No sooner had the last statement been formed in George's mouth than Bess was jumping up. She whirled on them, her face red and her glare intense, "I am NOT cleaning up any manure whatsoever! I refuse to take out any dripping garbage and I will not wash any dish that has been spit in! And for your information, I am not allergic to country air! There is no difference in the air here or back at home or anywhere else. I can hold up my end anywhere. Just because I don't care for stinky animals and muddy clothes doesn't mean I won't endure it just finely! I was told that I was coming to be on vacation! No one mentioned a catch!" She turned to Nancy, "And just so you know, that bathroom is tiny and it doesn't even have a bathtub or good-smelling soaps in it! And I don't exactly relish staying in the same room with you two snakes at the moment! I'll bet you two planned this!"

Nancy and George just burst into laughter. They couldn't help it. George was the first to speak, "Dishes that were spit in? Dripping garbage? Where do you come up with these ideas?"

Nancy laughed the hardest at Bess's last idea. "You…you think we planned this?" she sputtered between spurts of giggles, motioning from herself to George. She laughed even harder as an idea came to her, "We should call it 'Torture Bess Day'!"

George got tickled out of that, "Or we could call it "Bess's Worst Nightmares Come to Life Day' or—"

"It's not funny!" Bess yelled. Nancy and George bent over laughing. Finally Bess started to giggle too. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it. They wouldn't quit! All three girls ended up in a pile on one of the beds, laughing like never before.

"We're sorry, Bess," Nancy finally said, "We really are."

"Yeah," George added, "We didn't mean anything by it."

"I know," Bess wiped a tear from her cheek, "You were just trying to get me to talk to you again. And I know that you guys didn't ruin my vacation hopes on purpose."

"It won't be that bad, Bess, you'll see. Nancy will have this mystery solved in no time at all. Then, we can all relax a little," George said.

"Yeah, Bess," Nancy smiled, "Look on the bright side, it's what you're good at."

"Well," Bess blushed a little, "that John guy was pretty cute."


	6. Nightime Stars

**NIGHTIME STARS**

Nancy rose early the next morning. In fact, she was one of the first people to rise. She showered, dressed herself, and went downstairs to have breakfast all before the sun rose. As she entered the large room that served as a dining hall, she noticed that only two men were there. They were both eating scrambled eggs and bacon with toast. Classic, she thought to herself.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. Do you know where I could get a plate for myself?" she asked, "I'm new."

One man pointed to a door at the other end of the room, "Cook's in there. Ask her for a plate. But don't sneak up on her, you might not get anything for a week that way."

"Thankyou," Nancy nodded, taking care not to 'sneak up' on the cook as she entered into the hallway that led to the kitchen. "Hello?" Nancy asked as she turned a corner and went through another door. She saw a woman wearing blue jeans and a plaid shirt under a grease-stained apron. Her fiery red hair was pinned up, the tangled ringlets popping out here and there as they pleased. "Good morning," Nancy asked, "Are you the cook?"

"What does it look like to you?" the woman replied, "I don't believe I've seen you around before. Who are you?"

"My name is Nancy Drew," Nancy smiled, "I'm here to visit with Erin. My friends and I all are."

"Your friends and you?" the woman raised a brow, "And just how many of you might there be?"

"Just myself and one other, Bess Marvin," she answered, "We're friends of George Fayne."

The woman scowled, "Erin should warn me about this kind of thing! It's my responsibility to feed everyone here. I can't do that properly if I don't know how many that is!" She continued cooking the strips of bacon that were on the griddle that she stood before. "There's a plate and fork over there," she waved her spatula toward a counter on Nancy's left, "Get yourself a spoonful of eggs, four pieces of bacon, and one piece of toast. There's a pitcher of orange juice in the dining hall with some glasses."

"Yes, Ma'am, thankyou," Nancy hurried to get her food and leave the kitchen. When she returned to the dinning room, the two men weren't there anymore. Their dishes were in a bucket of water near the door to the hallway that Nancy had just come from, and so Nancy did the same with her own when she had finished. Just as she was exiting the room, John was coming in.

"Howdy, Miss Nancy," he tipped his hat, "You're settling in just fine I hope?"

"Yes, thankyou," she replied, "I was just on my way to find Erin. Do you know where she might be?"

"She's probably on her way down right about now. She'll open all the curtains in the house and then come to eat. She always starts in the front room," he answered.

"Thanks," Nancy smiled. She found Erin just where he said she would.

"Good morning, Nancy!" Erin exclaimed, "I see you're an early riser. That's good!"

"Yes," Nancy answered, "I tend to rise early when I have a mystery to solve. By the way, the cook seemed upset that I was here. She said that you hadn't mentioned us coming. Does she hold grudges easily?"

"Oh, that's Linda. I did forget to tell her about you and Bess. No, she'll ease up on you as soon as she gets her point across: No one takes more than she dishes out and they all clean up the way she likes, or else. She just wants you to respect her, that's all."

Nancy sighed, "Good. I don't need to have anyone pitted against me. I came to ask you for our lists of chores. I figured I'd pick up the lists for all three of us while I'm here. I think we'll have to get Bess up soon or she'll sleep in until someone does."

Erin giggled, "Well, all I'll need from you today is to burn the cardboard, take out the all the trash, and help Linda to clean out the freezer in the back and help her with the dishes. Now when you take out the trash, make sure you keep track of which bag is what. We have metal with metal, plastic with plastic, perishables with perishables, etc. I like to recycle what I can, so don't mix them up."

"Okay, got it," Nancy said goodbye and headed back to their room to find George and Bess. She walked in just as George was attempting to wake her sleeping friend.

"Bess!" George shook her cousin again, "Come on now! I know you're only pretending. I heard you moving around while I was coming out of the shower."

"Any luck?" Nancy closed the door behind her. She leaned against it, watching.

"No, she won't budge," George shrugged hopelessly, "but I'm positive that I heard someone shuffling around in here."

Nancy looked puzzled, "If it wasn't Bess…"

George's eyes widened, "…then who was it?"

"Are you sure that you heard someone? Could it have been something else or perhaps just your imagination?"

"Well, it _could_ have been anything, Nancy. But I'm almost certain that I heard someone. I just assumed that it was Bess…or you."

Nancy shook her head, "It wasn't me." She paced from the door to the bathroom and back, "Why would someone be in our room? Hardly anyone even knows were here and no one knows exactly why. I have a bad feeling about this, George. Keep your eyes peeled for anything that would be a clue."

"A clue to what?" she asked.

"Anything…anything," Nancy headed out the door again.

"Right," George mumbled, "I should have guessed." She went back to trying to wake her cousin.

* * *

><p>"Joe, I think we were supposed to take that turn back there," eighteen-year-old Frank Hardy pointed over his shoulder at a road that they had just passed.<p>

"No, I know where we are, and we _weren't_ supposed to take that turn," blonde-headed Joe hardy answered.

"Oh brother," Frank rolled his eyes. They were lost. He turned to the next page of their atlas. "Maybe, I can get us out of this mess," he mumbled to himself.

"We're not _in_ a mess, Frank, just trust me. I can handle this."

"Joe, it's okay to admit that you missed a turn. If we're lost, we need to figure it out quickly before we go even further in the wrong direction."

"We're _not_ lost!"

"Then where are we?" Frank set down the map and crossed his arms. He looked expectantly at his brother, who was driving the car that they had rented in Nashville.

"We're…" seventeen-year-old Joe glanced at his older brother for a moment before returning his gaze to the road ahead of him, "we're…on our way…to Carthage."

"Which is where, in relationship to us now?" pressed Frank.

Joe huffed in frustration, "I don't know, okay! You win; I don't know where we are!"

"So, we're lost?" the dark-headed boy smiled.

"Yes! We are lost! Now, will you stop gloating and help me out a little here?"

"Take this next exit to Cookeville," Frank chuckled, "We should be able to circle around and still get to Carthage in just over an hour."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Joe frowned as he turned onto the exit ramp. Frank leaned his seat back and just smiled, laughing to himself.

* * *

><p>"Eeeeeew! Eew, eew, eew!" Bess immediately dropped the wood that she'd been carrying.<p>

"What is it now?" asked George, exasperated.

"There are _bugs_! _All_ over that wood! I can't touch _that_!" squealed Bess.

"Oh come _on_, Bess!" George picked up the logs, "They're just a couple of worms on the bottom."

Bess looked at her cousin, hands behind her back, "They're icky…"

George sighed, "Fine. Here, take the cardboard. I'll carry the wood."

"Thankyou, George, you're the best!" Bess grabbed the stack of cardboard that George had been carrying. She did her best not to make too many complaints for the rest of the day. She found that she actually was enjoying the day, and before she knew it, night was falling and most of the work was done.

"I never realized how much work it was to run a farm," Nancy sat on the top porch step, "Erin, this is really an incredible place. I don't know how you manage it."

"It's not that hard," Erin shrugged. She sat on one of the rockers that littered the old-fashioned porch.

"_I_ couldn't do this all day everyday," Bess raised her arms to indicate the farm. She stood behind Nancy, leaning against one of the columns that held up the awning. George stood on the other side of the column. She gazed silently at the stars. For several minutes, there was nothing to be said among the girls.

George sighed contentedly, "Isn't it beautiful out here?"

"Yeah," Bess smiled to herself.

Nancy shook her head and laughed quietly to herself.

"What's so funny?" asked George, looking down at her friend.

"Nothing," Nancy smiled, staring out at the ranch, "I was just thinking about how we don't spend enough time together like this. You know? We're always busy or with other people. When was the last time that we all just sat out on the porch to look at the stars?"

"Would you like me to leave?" asked Erin, grinning.

"Oh, no!" Nancy turned around to face their hostess, "No, I didn't mean that. I just meant that Bess, George, and I don't get a whole lot of time to spend together."

"I completely understand," Erin pulled her ponytail down and ran her fingers through her hair, "It's nice to pull away from the world every now and then."


	7. Suspicious Activities

**SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES**

"Butter on the skillet

Whisky in a glass

To start a flame you've got to light a match"

It must have been close to midnight when John stepped out onto the porch, startling the group. He tipped his hat to Erin, "Y'all been out here a chit-chattin'? It's gettin' pretty late. Ya won't get much sleep if ya don't settle in soon."

Something about his manner didn't seem right to Nancy. It seemed like he was trying to push them all to leave. But why? She turned to him, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, Erin beat her to it.

"Oh, John," Erin chided, "You've stayed up many nights, helpless overpowered by the beauty of the stars. I know you have. These girls just needed some time. You should understand that."

"Yes, Ma'am, I do," his smile faded, but only for a moment. "Well, if you'll excuse me," he tipped his hat once more as he stepped past Nancy and off the porch, "I have some business to attend to."

"So late?" mumbled Nancy to herself. Fortunately, he'd already left for the stables. She turned around to face Erin, "How long have you known him? How long has he been working for you? How much do you trust him?"

Erin, taken aback by the questions, stuttered, "Well, I've known him since we were both children. We were neighbors most of our lives. His family lived in the farm just over that hill."

"What do you mean 'lived'?" asked George, turning to face her friends, "Why don't they still live there? Why doesn't John live there?"

Erin sighed, "When he turned twelve, the house burned to the ground. He was the only one to survive. He lost his three younger sisters and both of his parents in that fire."

"Poor soul," Bess joined the conversation, "Does he have _any_ family left?"

"No, he had no brothers and all of his grandparents are dead. Both of his parents were only children."

"That's terrible," George looked toward the stables, "Did your parents take him in? Is that why he lives here?"

Erin nodded, "My mother took care of him until she died, and my father raised him to be who he is now. He doesn't really work for me, to be honest. Yes, he helps around the ranch, but so does everyone. We share this farm and everything it produces…good or bad. I legally own the farm, but in reality…it's home for both of us."

Nancy nodded, "Would you trust him with your life?"

"What do you mean?" asked Erin.

Nancy looked Erin straight in the eyes, "If your life was on the line, would you trust him to get you out of the mess you were in? Would you freely put your life in his hands?"

"Well, yes," Erin answered, "I suppose that if it came down to it, I would."

Nancy nodded, "Would he have any reason to want you off of this farm? Would he have any reason to-"

"Nancy, are you suggesting that John is behind the strange things that have been happening around here?" Bess looked incredulously down at the girl who sat at her feet, "I can't believe you, Nancy. No one can escape your detective clutches! Everyone's a suspect!"

"Yes, Bess," Nancy retaliated in a puzzled tone, "Everyone always is." She didn't understand why Bess was so upset.

"Erin just explained to us that he was an orphan by the age of twelve, her family took him in, and that he shares the farm with her," Bess summarized, "So, what motive could he possibly have for wanting the ranch. He already has it!"

Nancy shook her head, "I never said that he wanted the ranch, Bess. There are an infinite amount of possibilities for a motive."

"She's right, Bess," George touched her cousin's arm, "What's eating you?"

"May I say that I hardly find it possible that John could be working against this farm," Erin interjected, "He loves it as much as I do."

"See," Bess jerked away from George, "Erin doesn't think it's John."

"I almost nearly told him why y'all were coming," Erin continued.

"But you didn't," Nancy said, "Why?"

Erin was startled, "I…I'm not sure."

Nancy stood and looked at Bess, "Don't you find it the least bit suspicious that he's out here, going to the stables, at midnight?"

Bess glared at Nancy, "Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?" She stormed off the porch, through the yard, and out into the darkness.

"Now where's she going at this time of night?" mumbled George.

Nancy shrugged, "She won't go far. If we clear the porch, she come back in when she deems it safe."

"I hope she's alright. She did seem awful upset," Erin stood.

"She'll be fine," Nancy looked out into the night once more before turning to her friends, "and Erin, I hope you don't think ill of me for pinning so much on John. I was only trying to get my point across to Bess. She knows very well that everyone starts out as a suspect until we can clear them. It's not that I do think John is your mysterious trickster, but you have to understand that anything is possible in my line of work."

Erin nodded, "I understand. And I know that you aren't going to try to frame him. You're just trying to find the truth and that's all I want. He's had a lot of pain in his past. If somehow anger and resentment has built up inside of him…I would only feel hurt that he doesn't trust me the way I do him. Well, I'm going to turn in. I'll see y'all tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"George," Nancy called softly into the darkness that surrounded them, "George, are you still awake?" Nancy heard George turn over in the bed above her.<p>

"Yeah?"

"What time is it?"

"Almost three," George answered after a pause, "She's still not back, Nancy."

"I know," Nancy whispered. She felt guilty for Bess's absence.

"You think she's alright?"

"I don't know, George," she sighed, sitting up, "but I'm going to go find her. I can't wait any longer. She might be lost, or…or anything."

George threw her covers off, "I'm coming with you."

"No," Nancy shook her head, "You should stay here."

"Nancy, she's my best friend too!" George frowned, "And she's my cousin. You can't be the hero every time. I'm coming with you. We can cover twice as much ground that way."

Nancy sighed and turned to the girl, "And what if she comes back while we're both out? We could be searching all night for no reason. Someone has to stay here. She's mad at me, not you. I need to go after her."

"But how will we stay in touch? I didn't bring the walkies with us."

Nancy held up her phone and then dressed herself, "Send me a text or call me if she comes in. If I find her I'll call you."

"Alright," George sighed, "You'll have a better chance of finding her anyway, miss detective."

"Thanks, George, and don't worry about her. I'm sure she's fine. She's probably out on the porch or something."

"Be careful, Nancy."

"I will," Nancy shut the door behind her and headed outside. She took a deep breath and checked her watch for the time. Stepping off the porch, she turned on her flashlight.

"Bess?" she called softly into the night, "Bess, where are you?" She searched all over the farm, but couldn't find her. She searched for half an hour, but to no avail. Nancy was starting to get worried now. Bess was nowhere to be found. She decided to go to the stables again.

"Hello," she called out, "Is anyone here?" The only answer she received came from the shuffling of the horses. Nancy counted the horses that were in their stalls and noted that one was missing. "John," she muttered. She left the stables, pondering her possibilities. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She quickly walked away from all of the buildings, allowing the darkness to envelop her. She headed to the top of the hill that Erin had pointed out to her earlier that night. She headed toward what used to be John's farm.

Just as she reached the top of the hill, Nancy noticed a light at the bottom of the hill from where she'd just come. She turned around just in time to see a glowing man riding a horse straight at her. The horse didn't glow, but both the man's skin and clothes were covered in a pale yellowish green light. She tried to jump out of the way, but the man grabbed her and pulled her up onto the horse with him. Nancy couldn't cry out because of the way he held her across the horse. She was struggling to breathe as it was. She held onto the horse for all that she was worth and closed her eyes tight. She knew that staring at the ground as the horse ran would only make her dizzy, aiding to the panic that rose inside her.

They rode for longer than Nancy could stand. It was still dark when they stopped, but Nancy could tell that it wouldn't be dark for much longer. The glowing rider pushed her off the horse roughly and then galloped away, depriving her of the chance to see his face. She landed in a pile of leaves behind a ramshackle building that she'd never seen before. As a result from being thrown from the horse at such an odd angle, she landed in a painful heap and hit her head on a buried rock, sending her into the depths of unconsciousness.


	8. Lost

**Guys, I am so sorry for the long wait! But, graduation and all my tests are finally over; so hopefully, I can get this story rolling again. Please, tell me what you think! **

**LOST**

"Ough," Nancy groaned. Slowly she sat up on one of her elbows. Gently, she prodded the back of her head. She softly rubbed against the giant knot that had formed from where she had landed on the rock. She blinked her eyes open. The sun was glaring down at her, even through the thick canopy above. It was late mid-afternoon. She'd been out cold all day!

It took much of her strength, but she finally managed to sit all the way up. She squinted up at the sky, doing her best to get some sense of direction. She sighed; there was no point. She didn't know which way the rider had taken her last night and there was no way she would be able to figure it out on her own.

As soon as she stood, she fell against the building behind her, gasping. "Not so fast, Drew," she scolded herself in a hoarse whisper. She would kill for a drink of water. Her throat was parched. Her stomach growled, adding its protest. "I hear you," she cradled her stomach. She took a deep breath and stood again. She looked around her, setting her hands on her hips. There was nothing but woods in any direction that she could see for miles.

"Where am I?" she mumbled. Cautiously she made her way out of the pile of leaves and around to the front of the old building. The building turned out to be a barn. The once reliable wood had been permanently dampened by the humid air that constantly surrounded it. Nancy pushed lightly on the door until it slowly creaked open.

The barn was empty, save the random piles of old, scattered hay. She stepped into the large, dark barn. "Ugh," she crinkled her nose at the distinct smell of mold; but after a few breaths, she was used to the stale air. She rooted around a little, exploring the barn for a while. When she found nothing of interest, she went back outside.

What were you hoping for? she asked herself, Some clue to just pop up to give you all the answers? It's never been that easy. Why would it be now?

Sighing, she headed out into the woods. By now, she regained most of her strength, though she was still somewhat dizzy from hunger. The more fresh air she breathed in, the clearer her head became, the clearer her thoughts were, and the calmer she felt. For a moment, she just stood still, concentrating on her breathing. A small smile tickled her lips. She listened intently to all the chatter that surrounded her. She loved listening to the birds sing different tunes and the woodpeckers pound into their bark and the squirrels scamper from tree to tree. She listened intently until she had isolated one sound and then moved on to the next one. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"Nancy! Why didn't you think of it sooner!" she exclaimed, slapping her forehead. Quickly, she scanned the forest around her for what she needed. It didn't take long for her to find a good-sized tree that would hold her weight. She swiftly climbed one with low branches. She climbed until she teetered in the wind, afraid to go any higher. Sticking her head out of the leaves, she gazed above many trees. She wasn't at the very top, but she could still see better than from the floor of the forest. She sighed again and started down. She couldn't see anything but more trees.

When she reached the bottom again, she pulled out her phone. "I didn't think so, but it was worth a shot…I guess." She thought for a moment. I haven't wandered too far from the barn, she thought, I could still go back…but what for? Then she remembered the man that had brought her here. "He was riding a horse," she looked up at the green sky above her, "…but why slow yourself down by riding through a forest?" She continued to pick at the question in her head. Something about it bothered her, but what? She slowly continued forward.

"He obviously wanted to get rid of me," she whispered, "but he didn't want to keep me or he would have tied me up…wouldn't he have? I don't understand. Why did he take me in the first place? Was it to keep me from going to John's?

"Oh, that doesn't really matter, does it," she huffed. "But wait," she smiled, "He must have known the area pretty well if he was willing to ride a horse through here…_or_…or maybe there was a trail that he was following." She snapped her fingers and quickly headed back for the barn. There might be some kind of a trail so the horse could make its way through, she hoped.

Nancy walked farther than she thought she should have had to go to reach the barn. "Oh, no," she groaned, "I must have passed it and not even realized it." It wouldn't have been hard to do. The sun was setting and it was already pretty dark out. Soon, it would be nearly black out. She wouldn't be able to see enough to go anywhere.

"Well, you really thought this one through, Miss Detective," she spat out, disgusted with herself, "You didn't even look for food or water. You didn't think about shelter for the night or possibly building a fire." She took one last look around, but it was too late, she couldn't see anything other than strange, dark blurs. Sighing again, she felt around for a nearby tree. At least, she thought, if the man does come back, he won't find me.

As short as her day had been, it had still exhausted her. She lay down at the base of the tree she had found and tried to get some sleep, determined to wake early the next morning.

* * *

><p>"I'm really worried about her, George," Bess looked to her cousin, "This is all my fault."<p>

"Well, she did go out to look for you after you stormed off into the night," George agreed.

Bess glared at her cousin, "You don't think I feel bad enough about it! I realize that. And now it's been almost two days since anyone has seen or heard from her!"

"It'll be two days tonight, which is in about…"George looked at her watch, "twenty minutes." Bess threw a pillow at her. "Hey! Hey! I'm just kidding around," she laughed and then her face quickly fell, "I'm sorry…I guess I'm more worried about her than I thought."

"You know she always takes care of herself, George, doesn't she?" Bess's voice started to choke a little.

"Yeah, that's right," George put her arm around the blonde, "She does."

"Where do you think she is?"

"I don't know…I don't know."

* * *

><p>"Did you hear that!" Joe's head whipped around.<p>

"What?" Frank dropped his pile of wood.

"Shh!" Joe insisted, "Listen!" Frank listened closely. The brothers had been out in the woods all day mushroom hunting. Morels liked to sprout up around Cedars, and were amazing fried. While searching, they had considered and debated a night in the woods. The boys had been gathering wood to build a fire when Joe had heard a twig snap in the darkness beyond.

"Joe, I don't hear anythi—" Frank stopped short just as another twig snapped loudly. It was getting closer, whatever it was. Suddenly, _it_ started running…toward them! "Hide!" Frank hissed, scrambling to get behind the nearest tree. Joe ran in the opposite direction to do the same.

"Umph!" the boys heard a muffled groan as the thing that had been running tripped over Frank's wood pile. Cautiously, Frank stepped out into the clearing, slowly making his way to the lump on the ground.

* * *

><p>Nancy groaned and held her side. She'd cut herself on something sharp when she'd tripped over this pile of…of what? Her hands patted the ground underneath her. It was a pile of sticks. She'd been traveling all day through the woods, hoping to stumble upon civilization. She ate berries and nuts and drank only from streams that were fresh and moving. After the sun had set, she'd become much more paranoid. The forest sounds were foreign to her. Something had sounded behind her; something that spooked her into a run. She ran into a clearing and then tripped over this stack of wood.<p>

Nancy's first thought was, Why is there a stack of sticks piled up in the middle of this clearing? Then she wondered, Who put them here. That's when she'd noticed the stealthy movement behind her. It could be the man who brought me here, she thought quickly, he's the only one it could be; no one else knows where I am.

She held so still it hurt, waiting as someone crept slowly toward her. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran straight for the figure!


	9. Friendship Hollow

**FRIENDSHIP HOLLOW**

Frank grunted as the once inert form leapt from the ground and tackled him. He felt a wisp of hair touch his face, but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. He was so taken aback by the sudden attack that he allowed his assailant to freely slip away. Smart, he thought, as he quickly rose from the ground and joined Joe in his pursuit of the runaway.

The figure was limping slightly, but it was still fast. Frank looked around for his brother, but he didn't see him anywhere. Suddenly, Joe leapt from a tree and landed square on the fleeing person's back.

"Let me go!" a girl's voice gasped under Joe.

"No!" Joe hollered, "Why did you attack us?"

"You cornered me!" she grunted, "How else was I supposed to get away? Why did you bring me here?"

Joe looked to Frank and then back at the struggling form beneath him, "We didn't bring anyone here." He slowly let the girl go, crouching beside her, "We don't want to hurt you."

Gasping in air, the girl sat up. She squinted in the dark at the two boys before her, "Can you help me find my way out of these woods?"

"You're lost?" Frank asked, softly, "Of course, we'll help. What's you're name?" The girl stood.

"Nancy," she extended her hand toward the boy that was standing, "Nancy Drew."

"Nancy?" Joe stood.

At the same time, Frank exclaimed, "Nancy!"

"Do we know each other?" she asked confused.

"It's us!" Frank smiled, "Frank and Joe!"

* * *

><p>Nancy laughed, leaning in to the warmth of the fire that the group had made, "I can't believe you guys are here."<p>

"And that, of all people, we happened upon _you_," Frank kissed her forehead.

"How did you get here in the forest? Why are you in Tennessee?" Joe asked after swallowing the last bite of his hotdog before making another.

"Well," Nancy started, "George came out to visit a friend and then Bess and I came out to solve a mystery. I was exploring a little, looking for someone, when this glowing man riding a horse swept me up off my feet and brought me here. Well, not _here_ here, but behind this barn out in the middle of nowhere here."

Joe shook his head, "This is terrible. Frank, you've got to do something about this."

Frank looked confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Are you just going to allow random guys to sweep your lady off her feet?" Joe's mock serious tone and facial expression amused Nancy. Frank rolled his eyes and smiled. He pulled Nancy closer to him.

"I'm just glad that you're okay," Frank looked down at her.

"I was a little worse for the wear, but I'm fine now," she leaned up and toward the fire, "Joe, can you hand me another hotdog."

"How long have you been out here, Nancy?" Joe stared at her as he handed one over, "This is your fourth hotdog."

Nancy blushed in the firelight, "I haven't had much to eat."

"Well, eat to your heart's content," Frank said, "Tomorrow, we'll lead you home."

"Yeah," Joe added, "So rest easy tonight. You can sleep in the tent; Frank and I will sleep out here."

"Thanks, guys," Nancy smiled. The group stayed up for a little while before deciding to go to bed. Nancy rested more than she had since she had come to Tennessee, knowing that the Hardys were just outside her tent.

* * *

><p>"We can call the police," Erin proposed to her friends. Erin, Bess, and George were discussing possible options to find Nancy. They sat in the living room, poking at snacks on the coffee table; none of them really had much of an appetite, especially considering the current topic.<p>

"We've tried everything else," George sighed, "I think we have to call them."

"But, Erin," Bess cut in, "You said they just laughed at you the last time you called them. Why would they help us now?"

"Bess, they laughed because she called about the phantom man," George turned to her cousin, who stood at a window overlooking the back of the farm, "We're talking about a missing person. Isn't that like a federal thing?"

"I still think that we should keep searching," Bess folded her arms.

"I think George is right," Erin sat in a chair across from George, who sat on the couch, "I don't think we have a choice. We _have_ to report a missing person."

"But," George added, "that doesn't mean that we can't keep looking on our own too. We just need to alert the authorities as well."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Bess looked at her friends, "But if they even think about telling me not to look for Nancy, I'm going to walk off. I'm looking for her no matter what anyone says."

"Agreed," Erin smiled, "We all will. I can even have the farm helpers look for a day. We can—"

"Bess! George!" the three girls in the living room snapped their attention to the font door as it burst open. It was Nancy!

"Nancy!" they shouted in unison. The girls all jumped up, rushing to meet her.

"Where were you?" Bess wiped tears from her face as she released her friend.

"We looked everywhere," George smiled.

"I'll explain later, but first…" Nancy stepped out of the doorway to reveal her surprise.

"Joe? Frank?" Bess and George marveled as the Hardy brothers stepped into the front room.

"Erin," Nancy said, "these are our very good friends, Frank and Joe Hardy. Boys, this is Erin Dawson, the woman who owns this place."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Erin smiled as she shook each of their hands, "Please, make yourselves at home. Any friend of Nancy's is a friend of mine."

"Oh, thankyou," Frank said, "but we can't stay long."

"Why not?" asked Bess, "You just got here!"

"Yeah, we know," Joe hugged Bess and then George.

"Nancy," George asked, after giving Frank a quick hug just before Bess did, "how in the world did you find these two?"

"Actually," Nancy smiled, looking at the boys, "they found me. I'll tell you the whole story later. Right now, we'd better let them get on their way."

"You'll come by for dinner won't you?" invited Erin, "We're having potato soup."

Joe looked at Frank with a pleading stare. Frank rolled his eyes and said, "We'll have to ask our employer, but I doubt it would be a problem. What time should we be here?"

Employer? Nancy wondered, but she dared not bring attention to it, not yet anyway.

"Yes!" Joe whispered, pulling his arm back in a gesture of triumph.

"Come on, Joe," Frank laughed. He turned to Erin, "It was nice to meet you."

"Come by anytime," Erin replied.

Frank turned to his friends from River Heights, letting his gaze linger on Nancy, "Bye girls." Joe chorused in his goodbyes as well, and the boys left.

"Alright, Nancy," Bess fixed the red-head with a glare, "How did this happen?"

"We want to know everything," Erin added.

"We almost called the police!" George exclaimed, "We should have done it sooner, but knowing you, there's no telling what you were up to. You've got a story to tell, little missy."

"Well, I don't think the story's as exciting as you expect it to be," Nancy walked over to the sofa with her friends following close behind. After they had all arranged themselves, Nancy began. She told them how she had been abducted and where she had found herself upon awakening. She told them about the barn and her snooping. She went on until she came to her meeting with the Hardys, and concluded by saying, "This morning they led me out of the woods, and I told them how to get here. That's it." She shrugged and looked to the faces of her friends.

"Well, where were you?" asked George, "I mean, where did the guys find you and bring you out?"

"When we came out of the woods we were on a back road, much like this one. Joe said it was called Friendship Hollow, I think," Nancy answered.

"That's not too far from here," Erin said, "But it seems odd that there was a barn in the middle of the woods."

"Is it?" asked Bess.

"What would it be used for in the woods?" asked George.

"Exactly," Erin said.

"Hmm," Nancy stood and began to pace the floor.

"Have you got something?" asked George, knowing that look all too well.

Nancy snapped her fingers together and spun to face the others, "Erin! Tell me more about the glowing man that the farmhands have seen at night."


End file.
